The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
(We're far from ordinary) alright how can I say this?
I'm from a place where, no-one expects us to make it
There was The Stone Roses and Oasis
But when they were big we were still babies
I'm talking to the new generation
And we wasn't born in the 80's
They say that we don't see many places
'Cause nobody left here for ages
Serious love for the people that raised us
Even though it got crazy
Poverty stricken but that never phased us
Not one of us lazy
And I'll be the first to say money don't change us
Well it didn't change me
I'll never forget where I came from - that's 'cause
It's the struggle that saved me
On the streets we got brought up
And we'd play on the grass 'cause we're tryna be pro footballers
They say there's no kings out here, nobody's got money, everyone of us paupers
I beg to differ 'cause I see the bigger picture
Every one of us kings
We could live on the street
And make it a castle
Fuck what they call us
They can keep throwing out orders
In fact bring cameras and recorders
We've been fighting for survival
And you're gonna learn what war does
Why did they call it an army?
That's 'cause it's filled with soldiers
There's a war going on outside and it's life
You can keep the revolvers
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary
Okay, what did they expect?
They expect us to fail this test
They think 'cause we're broke and we're not blessed
Like we're gonna watch our parents stress
No chance
And more time our parents are broken up anyway, there's no romance
And the car's been sold
And that's 'cause there's no keeping up with their finance
What do they want us to do?
Skip down the road to the job centre and just hold hands?
It's not easy out here, depression's a killer
Especially when you've got no plans
So much pain on a daily basis
Would you not grab the painkiller with both hands?
It's a shame the painkiller's weed and liquor
Strong enough to wipe out the whole gang
If I'm being brutally honest
I don't condone it, but I understand the stealing and the violence
Yeah man run when they hear the sirens
"No comment"
Leave the room in silence
That's the same boy who's mum got treated bad in the job centre on Friday
Dad don't care so he lacks the guidance
It's a shame that the streets are evil
But that's just where we grown up
And not everything was legal
But that's where we learnt to be tough
Most people grind to a halt
Like a car with no petrol or no diesel
But we keep it moving round here
'Cause we're far from ordinary people
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary
I see the raindrops falling again
We look up to greet the heavens
Who cares if we had harsh beginnings
We know congruence
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary people (people, people, people, people)
We're far from ordinary
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
(We're far from ordinary) alright how can I say this?
I'm from a place where, no-one expects us to make it
There was The Stone Roses and Oasis
But when they were big we were still babies
I'm talking to the new generation
And we wasn't born in the 80's
They say that we don't see many places
'Cause nobody left here for ages
Serious love for the people that raised us
Even though it got crazy
Poverty stricken but that never phased us
Not one of us lazy
And I'll be the first to say money don't change us
Well it didn't change me
I'll never forget where I came from - that's 'cause
It's the struggle that saved me
On the streets we got brought up
And we'd play on the grass 'cause we're tryna be pro footballers
They say there's no kings out here, nobody's got money, everyone of us paupers
I beg to differ 'cause I see the bigger picture
Every one of us kings
We could live on the street
And make it a castle
Fuck what they call us
They can keep throwing out orders
In fact bring cameras and recorders
We've been fighting for survival
And you're gonna learn what war does
Why did they call it an army?
That's 'cause it's filled with soldiers
There's a war going on outside and it's life
You can keep the revolvers
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary
Okay, what did they expect?
They expect us to fail this test
They think 'cause we're broke and we're not blessed
Like we're gonna watch our parents stress
No chance
And more time our parents are broken up anyway, there's no romance
And the car's been sold
And that's 'cause there's no keeping up with their finance
What do they want us to do?
Skip down the road to the job centre and just hold hands?
It's not easy out here, depression's a killer
Especially when you've got no plans
So much pain on a daily basis
Would you not grab the painkiller with both hands?
It's a shame the painkiller's weed and liquor
Strong enough to wipe out the whole gang
If I'm being brutally honest
I don't condone it, but I understand the stealing and the violence
Yeah man run when they hear the sirens
"No comment"
Leave the room in silence
That's the same boy who's mum got treated bad in the job centre on Friday
Dad don't care so he lacks the guidance
It's a shame that the streets are evil
But that's just where we grown up
And not everything was legal
But that's where we learnt to be tough
Most people grind to a halt
Like a car with no petrol or no diesel
But we keep it moving round here
'Cause we're far from ordinary people
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary
I see the raindrops falling again
We look up to greet the heavens
Who cares if we had harsh beginnings
We know congruence
If you wanna know something 'bout me
The blood in my veins is full of northern grit
I got that northern soul, man I got bags of it
We're far from ordinary people
And if you wanna know something 'bout us
The hearts in our chest are full of northern love
And even when we're broke, we'll always have enough
We're far from ordinary people
We're far from ordinary people (people, people, people, people)
We're far from ordinary
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.